Word of the day: albeit

For those of you who always found albeit a strange, but useful word, and wondering where it derives from, here's an illumination:

al·be·it [awl-bee-it]
conjunction
although; even if: a peaceful, albeit brief retirement.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English al be it al(though) it be
copied from: Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/albeit

Another example:

• Other observers eventually concluded that Piazzi's discovery was indeed a planet, albeit a small one.
• The world is turning toward a more sustainable future, albeit too slowly.